Question - City Renewal Authority

1. Can the Chief Minister (a) outline all training courses available to City Renewal Authority (CRA) staff for Fraud and Corruption training and (b) identify which courses are mandatory for staff to complete.
2. For all courses that are identified in part (1); (a) what percentage of staff have completed this training and (b) provide a separate breakdown for all CRA executives who have completed the training.
3. How long do staff have to complete the training after on boarding.
4. Do staff have to repeat the training; if so, (a) when do they have to repeat the training and (b) how many of the staff identified in part (2) have (i) never completed the training and (ii) failed to repeat the training.
5. What steps, in detail, does CRA take to ensure that staff complete the mandatory training.
6. What are the consequences for not completing the mandatory training.

(1), (2), (3) The following table outlines:

• training courses available to City Renewal Authority (CRA) staff for Fraud and Corruption training.
• which courses are mandatory for staff to complete.
• what percentage of staff have completed this training.
• a breakdown for all CRA executives who have completed the training.
• how long do staff have to complete the training after on boarding.

^*  All permanent staff with tenure greater than 3 months.

^#  From date of commencement

The Authority also provides briefings with scenarios for all staff from time to time. 

(4) The CRA is part of the Environment Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) portfolio and is covered by the Portfolio Fraud and Corruption Prevention Plan 2022-24. Under the plan it is expected all employees complete an awareness session in ethics, fraud, and corruption every two years to maintain a clear understanding of their obligations. EPSDD maintains robust training completion records on behalf of the CRA; however, it does not track instances of (repeat) refresher training.

(5) To make sure all employees complete essential training, a key performance indicator specifically focused on training completion has been included in the organisational template for all Performance and Development Plans (PDPs) for the 2023/2024 financial year. This inclusion actively integrates training completion into annual performance evaluations, holding each employee accountable for fulfilling this critical requirement.

The CRA receives data from EPSDD to facilitate monitoring of training completion and has focussed on completion of the fraud and ethics topic. The Authority reported a key performance indicator in its annual Statement of Performance for 2021-22 and 2022-23 and will report in 2023-24. This mechanism has been used to prioritise the topic with staff. 

To keep the importance of this training top-of-mind, periodic emails are sent to individuals and managers highlighting any training that has not been completed.

All managers have access to their team members’ training records through the Learning Management System. This access allows managers to directly support and follow up with their teams regarding training completion.

The mandatory nature of specific training is regularly communicated across the organisation through the Directorate. This ensures that all employees are aware of their training obligations and the importance of these programs to both their professional growth and organisational compliance.

(6) Where an employee does not meet requirements the issue would form part of the performance discussion. The CRA would seek assistance from EPSDD for advice and assistance to manage any serious non-performance or disciplinary matters arising.